Envelopes for phonograph records



D. G. WAY

ENVELOPES FOR PHONOGRAPH RECORDS Filed March 51. 1965 "sills, c*

Patented Dec. 2l, 1965 3,224,573 ENVELOPES EUR PHNUGRAPH RECORDS DavidG. Way, Boxborough, Mass. (REED, West Acton, Mass.) Filed Mar. 31, 1965,Ser. No. 446,777 4 Claims. (Cl. 2de- 62) The present invention relatesto record-receiving and protecting envelopes and is acontinuation-in-part vof my copending application, Serial No. 260,602,filed February 25, 1963.

Records, particularly high fidelity records, are easily so damaged thatthe enjoyment of listening to them is lost. For that reason, it is thepractice for high fidelity records to be sold in an inner envelope ofplastic -or paper contained in an outer, cardboard envelope. Users arewarned to handle the records only by their outer edges, since evenngerprints destroy the accuracy of the minute sound-producing grooves ofthe playing surfaces.

This dual packaging of records has .severe disadvantages for the users.It is a nuisance to attempt to insert a record, holding it only by itsextreme outer edges, into a relatively limp and unmanageable innerenvelope, and then still face the chore of inserting this assembly intoan outer envelope against severe resistance due to interference betweenthe inner envelope and the narrow slot of the outer envelope.

Many users, in frustration, throw away the inner envelope and insert thefragile record directly into the harsh outer envelope, thereby severelyscratching the record playing surface and ruining the fidelity of therecord.

Another disadvantage is that neither the inner nor the outer envelopehas any spacing between the walls at the sides and bottom, thus addingto the difficulty of removal and insertion.

The general objective of the present invention is to providerecord-receiving envelopes that require no inner envelope, `are easy andconventient to use, economical to produce, and afford effectiveprotection to the records. In accordance with the invention, thisobjective is attained by providing an open-ended envelope for aphonograph record comprising a rectangular sheet having a pair ofclosely spaced holds transversely of its central part providing a narrowenvelope bottom. Each fold also defines with the poximate end of thesheet an envelope wall, each wall including marginal portions secured toits inner face and to the corresponding portions of the other wall, thethus secured and interconnected marginal portions providing narrowenvelope sides. The two sides and the bottom position the walls inspaced and approximately parallel relationship to provide a recordreceiving space greater in thickness than the record over the completesurface of the record. Secured to the inner faces of the envelope wallsbetween the sides thereof there is a soft yieldable coat of an area andthickness yieldably supporting the received record and preventing itscontact with the envelope walls.

It is preferred either that the soft yieldable coat cover the entireinner surface of the walls between the sides or that it be in the formof stripes or bands extending from top to bottom thereof and it is alsopreferred that the side establishing portions of the walls be inturnedwall margins, each margin being folded against its wall and securedthereto and to the corresponding margin of the other wall. Suchenvelopes are free of objectionable features of an envelope formed byfolding a sheet upon itself with the fold line providing an envelopeside.

ln the accompanying drawings, there are shown illustrative embodimentsof the invention from which its several objectives, novel features, andadvantages will be apparent.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a blank ready to be folded and marginallyunited to form an envelope,

FIGURE 2 is a view of the record receiving envelope formed therefrom,

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of another envelope-forming blank in accordancewith the invention, and

FIGURES 4 and 5 are sections, on an increased scale, taken along thegenerally indicated lines 4 4 and 5 5, respectively, of FIGURE 2.

In FIGURE 1, a sheet of cardboard or the like, generally indicated at10, has inturned side margins 1l notched as at 12 intermediate theirends to enable the sheet 10 to be folded upon itself to provide a frontwall 13, a back wall 14, `and an envelope bottom 15. Between the notches12, there are transverse crease lines 16, so spaced that the width ofthe bottom 15 is substantially equal to the space between the walls whentheir margins 11 are sealed together and to the walls of which they area part as by means of an adhesive to provide envelope sides.

The sheet 10, before it is folded, is provided with a series oftransversely spaced rows 1'7 of adhesive disposed parallel to andbetween the envelope sides by which flock material 18, spread on theunfolded sheet 1li, is anchored to provide record protecting rows afterthe excess iiock material is removed. The flock rows of each envelopewall provide the only contact surface with the proximate face of arecord 19 inserted in the envelope. If desired, the flock material maycarry an antistatic impregnant such as a silicone oil.

As shown in FIGURE 3, a sheet 20, otherwise similar to the sheet 1li,may have an adhesive coat 21 applied from end-to-end thereof between theenvelope sides so that, on the application of ock material 18 thereto,the resulting envelope becomes completely lined to protect both faces ofa record.

In practice, lengths of suitable material, typically cardboard, are fedthrough apparatus wherein their side margins are creased, formed andsealed to the walls of which they are a part, and the adhesive and flockmaterial are applied. The envelope is then completed by making twotransverse creases for the bottom folds, folding the sheet, and sealingtogether corresponding margins of the envelope walls. It is understoodthat the lengths may be left joined together in long webs during thefirst operations, and parted from the web just previous to the nalfolding operation.

It will, accordingly, be appreciated that the invention makes possiblethe efficient and economical production of record-receiving envelopesthat are well designed to combine convenience in use with protection ofthe record grooves against becoming damaged either by dirt or bydamaging contact with hard wall surfaces, as each envelope has its wallsspaced apart in approximately parallel relationship thereby providing aspace greater than the thickness of the received record over thecomplete surface of the record loosely confined in it with the softyieldable coat yieldably supporting the received record and preventingits contact with the envelope walls.

I claim:

1. An open-ended envelope for a phonograph record, said envelopecomprising a rectangular sheet having a pair of closely spaced foldstransversely of the central part thereof providing a narrow envelopebottom, each fold also defining with the proximate end of the sheet anenvelope wall, each of said walls including narrow portions secured tothe side margins of its inner face and to corresponding marginalportions of the other wall, the thus secured and interconnected marginalportions providing narrow envelope sides, said two sides and said bottompositioning said walls in spaced and approximately parallel relationshipproviding a space receiving the record and greater than the thickness ofthe record over the cornplete surface of the record, and secured to theinner faces of said walls between said sides, a soft yieldable coat ofan varea and thickness yieldably supporting the received record andpreventing its contact with said walls.

2. The envelope of claim 1 in which the narrow, sideestablishingportions are margins extending lengthwise of each side of each wall andfolded against the inner surface thereof.

3. The envelope of claim 1 in which the coat is in the form of spacedparallel rows of ock extending lengthwise of the sheet.

4. In combination, an open-ended envelope, and a phonograph record, saidenvelope comprising a rectangular sheet having a pair of closely spacedfolds transversely of the central part thereof providing a narrowenvelope bottorn, each fold also defining with the proximate end of thesheet an envelope wall, each of said walls including narrow marginalportions secured to the side margins of its inner face and tocorresponding marginal portions of the other wall, the thus secured andinterconnected marginal portions providing narrow envelope sides, saidtwo sides and said bottom positioning said walls in spaced andapproximately parallel relationship providing a space in which therecord is confined, the space being ygreater than the thickness of therecord over the complete surface of the record, and secured to the innerfaces of said walls between said sides, a soft yieldable coat of an areaand thickness yieldably lsupporting the received record and preventingits contact with said walls.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 804,747 11/ 1905MacKenzie 229-5 3 2,333,798 11/1943 Kner 229-68 2,440,022 4/ 1948Salsberg 229-48 2,691,440 10/ 1954 Spugios 20G-62 3,132,795 5/1964Allison 229-68 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

1. AN OPEN-ENDED ENVELOPE FOR A PHONOGRAPH RECORD, SAID ENVELOPECOMPRISING A RECTANGULAR SHEET HAVING A PAIR OF CLOSELY SPACED FOLDSTRANSVERSELY OF THE CENTRAL PART THEREOF PROVIDING A NARROW ENVELOPEBOTTOM, EACH FOLD ALSO DEFINING WITH THE PROXIMATE END OF THE SHEET ANENVELOPE WALL, EACH OF SAID WALLS INCLUDING NARROW PORTIONS SECURED TOTHE SIDE MARGINS OF ITS INNER FACE AND TO CORRESPONDING MARGINALPORTIONS OF THE OTHER WALL, THE THUS SECURED AND INTERCONNECTED MARGINALPORTIONS PROVIDING NARROW ENVELOPE SIDES, SAID TWO SIDES AND SAID